Dividing-box.



H. G. ALGER.

DIVIDING BOX.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.15,1913.

Patented Dec.8.1914

INVEN WITNESSES HARLEY G. ALGER, OF CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS.

DIVIDING-B OX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Application filed February 15, 1913. Serial No. 748,667.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARLEY C. ALGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago Heights, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Dividing-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in dividing boxes used more especially for the purpose of dividing a stream of liquid.

The objects of my invention are to provide a device of this character which will divide a stream of liquid accurately, and which will provide an economical arrangement whereby any air or other gas which may be received in the liquid to be divided may be separated from the liquid so as to eliminate violent ebullition as the liquid reaches the point where the division occurs, thereby rendering the apparatus more eflicient.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is compact and which will occupy a minimum of space.

A dividing boX constructed in accordance with my invention is of use in connection with the measurement of water where a stream of liquid is divided, a small portion of the liquid being measured by any suitable meter, and the total amount of liquid being obtained by multiplying the results, as given by the meter, by the proportion of the total stream to the measured portion.

This dividing box is also of service wherever it is desired to divide a stream of water accurately as is often desirable in various industries, and although I have shown the application of my device to the measurement of water, I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to this particular application.

To these ends, therefore, my invention consists in certain novel constructions and arrangements of parts as are hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a dividing box constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the dividing box with its cover removed; Fig. 3 shows the dividing box in connection with a meter for the measurement of liquid while Fig. 4 shows a modification in the construction of the means used for dividing the water.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, my dividing box consists of a shell 1 made of any suitable material and preferably, although not essentially, cylindrical in form. A head 3 or other suitable means, may divide the space within the shell separating it into upper and lower compartments, 4 and 5 respectively. Within the shell and preferably concentric therewith, is positioned an uptake pipe 2, which extends vertically upward from a point near the bottom of the shell, 1, through the head 3 to which the uptake may be attached. A vent pipe 6 may be used to allow the escape of air or other gases which may be entrained in the liquid passing to the dividing box and the vent pipe may be suitably connected to the head 3 through which an opening 7 is made. A suitable cover 8 may be provided for closing the top of the shell 1 and a vent pipe 9 may be made in the cover for the purpose of venting the upper compartment 4:, except in cases where it is desired to operate under pressure or vacuum. When the vent 9 is used, it allows the escape of any air which may pass through the vent pipe 6. At the upper end of the uptake 2, I provide a proportioning member which preferably comprises a band 10 which is secured to the uptake at the joint 11 which should be made water-tight. In the upper part of the band 10 is formed a series of notches, weirs or equivalent devices, aa and 6. These notches or weirs are preferably of the same size and are positioned at the same level so that any water conducted or conveyed upward through the uptake 2, upon reaching the level of the notches or weirs, will spill through the notches or weirs in equal amounts and the total stream may therefore be divided into several streams each of equal amount. Al

though it is not absolutely necessary that the notches, weirs or equivalent devices be alike, provided the proportion of the division is known, the device however, makes a more accurate division of liquid if the liquid rising through the uptake flows in a solid stream and spills equally in all directions which it does in my preferred construction as described. A ring 12 Fig. 1, and which is shown partly broken in Fig. 2, at the upper edge of the band 10, may be used to reinforce the band between the notches so that the notches will not be easily distorted. The water passing over the notches a,a may fall into the upper compartment l and pass from the shell through the delivery pipe 13, While the water issuing from one of the notches as at b, may be caught in a suitable box 14 and delivered from the shell through the pipe 15.

One of the novel features of my device consists in the uptake 2 which is positioned within the shell 1 and which extends from a level below the pipe 16 where the water enters the dividing box and it will be noted that the water entering through the pipe 16 must be directed downward in order to pass into the uptake and to the proportioning member. The opening 7 in the head 3 together with the vent pipe 6 will allow the escape of any air or any gas lighter than the liquid passing to the dividing box and the proportion of the various partsshould be such that the velocity of the liquid passing downward will below enough'to allow the air or gas to separate within the space in the lower compartment 5 formed between the shell 1 and the uptake 2 which may be annular in shape. The air or gas will pass through the vent 6, while the water will pass to the uptake 2. By this arrangement the device is made compact in construction and the water flowing quietly, without air, to the notches is accurately divided.

Fig. 3 shows the dividing box as it may be adapted for the measurement of water in some cases. The dividingbox 1 with a suitable water meter 18 may be positioned on a suitable storage tank 17. The water enters the inlet 16 which may have a balanced control valve 19 for controlling the supply of water, the balanced valve being automatically controlled by the float 20 within the storage tank, operating through the rod 21 connecting toa shaft 22 to which is connected a lever arm '23 and a suitable connecting rod 24 being connected from lever arm 23 to the valve 19 thereby governing the supply of water as is usual in such cases.

The water passing through the dividing box 1 is divided into two portions, the larger portion of which, passing from the delivery pipe 13 as previously described, is delivered directlyto the storage tank 17. The smaller portion of-water-passes through the pipe 15 to; the meter 18 of any approved type where it'is measured, the amount of water measured" being registered by a register 25. The water after being measured may pass through a suitable discharge pipe '26 leading from the meter to the storage tank 17 so that the total amount of water delivered through the pipe lGYis finally delivered :to the storage tank 17 and may be'drawn-from the storage tank through a suitable outlet 27, as desired.

In a great many cases, it is convenient to use ten notches and if ten notches are used only one-tenth of the amount of water, actually furnishedthrough the pipe 16 and finally to the storage tank 17, passes through the meter 18 and is actually measured so that in obtaining the total amount of liquid, it is simply necessary to multiply the quantity as given by the register 25, by ten. If desired, the register 25 may be constructed so that it will register ten times the amount of water passing through the meter which will therefore in this case, be the total amount of Water delivered to the storage tank 17. The advantages of such an installation are at once apparent as such an arrangement permits the use of a very much smaller meter, thereby cutting down the space necessary for its installation and more particularly. the vertical height through which the liquid must pass in being measured. Further, the size of the storage tank used depends somewhat onthe size of meter used and, in many cases, the storage tank may be smaller with the smaller meter which therefore saves considerable floor space.

Fig. 4 shows a modification of the construction of the band 10 in which the notches or weirs aa and b are formed. In this case the band 10 is preferably made an equi- 9o lateral prism orwith'its cross section the shape of an equilateral polygon and having notches in the plane sides. Theremay be notches in each of the sides, as shown, or some ofthe sides may be constructed without notches although thenotches shouldbe placed equidistant. If the. notches-are placed in the plane portion of the sides, eachv notch will therefore be in a single plane instead of being in a curved surface which is of advantage because several notchesv may. be made in flat pieces which are then fastened together at the corners as at 28 and because the dimensions of a notch in asingle plane can be accurately determined .more easily and a lower compartment, an uptake extending through the separating means from a level within the lower compartment below the separating'meansand adapted to lead liquid upward from the lower compartment, a proportioning member in the upper compartment' adapted to receive liquid'from theuptake, to divide the liquid into proportions and to deliver a portion. of the divided liquid to theupper c0mpartment,means for delivering liquid from the upper compartment and means for conveying the remaining portion of the liquid from the proportioning member.

2. A dividing box comprising a shell, a head separating the shell into an upper and 139 a lower compartment, means for delivering liquid to the lower compartment, an uptake extending through the head and adapted to convey liquid from the lower compartment, a proportioning member positioned above the uptake, said proportioning member being adapted to receive liquid from the uptake, to divide the liquid into portions, and to deliver a portion of the liquid to the upper compartment, means for delivering liquid from the upper compartment and means for conveying the remaining portion of liquid from the proportioning member.

3. A dividing box comprising a shell, means separating the shell into upper and lower compartments, an uptake having an intake end near the bottom of the lower compartment, said uptake extending through the separating means and being adapted to,

convey liquid from the lower compartment, means for delivering liquid to the lower compartment, said delivering means being positioned at a higher level than the intake end of the uptake whereby liquid is caused to pass downward from the delivering means, means forming a vent adapted to lead air which may accumulate within the lower compartment from the lower compartment, a proportioning member adapted to receive liquid from the uptake, to divide the liquid into portions and to deliver a portion of the liquid to the upper compartment, means for delivering liquid from the upper compartment and means for conveying the remaining portion of liquid from the proportioning member.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARLEY C. ALGER.

Witnesses:

R. V. Summer, I. E. DISOHINGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

